How to Store Seafood at Home

Storing fish you've bought from the fish market in a refrigerator that's set at the standard 40 degrees is a sure way to reduce the shelf life of that fish, says fish expert and chef Dean Max of 3030 Ocean. "Every two degrees above 32 Fahrenheit takes a day off the fish's shelf life," he told Clean Plate Charlie yesterday.

The chef who won a Great American Seafood Cook-Off says how to store fish is a topic of discussion at conferences and schools and among chefs. His suggestion? Make a fish file in your refrigerator. Here's the how-to after the jump.

1) Find two bins, preferably metal, one with holes on the bottom to allow for drainage. A metal bin allows for colder storage, of course.

2) Line the bottom of the perforated bin with absorbent, clean dish towels,

and place the fish on top of towels. Place towels on each layer of the fish

rather than stacking fish on top of one another.

3) Align towel layer with ice, preferably crushed. The ice should not be on top of the fish.

4) Use second bin to catch water as ice melts.

5) Change towels every 24 hours if you'll be storing fish in the fridge more than a day.